Greek Texts & Translations

57.55Am I, then, an alien? Where have I paid the resident alien's tax? ^note Or what member of my family has ever paid it? Have I ever gone to the members of another deme and, because I could not induce them to accept me, got myself registered in this one? Have I done any of the things which all those who are not genuine citizens are proved to have done? Certainly not. No; in a word I manifestly have lived as a member of the deme among the same people among whom my father's grandfather, my own grandfather, and my father himself lived. And now, how could anyone prove to you more convincingly than I have done that he is entitled to the rights of citizenship? 57.56Let each one of you consider, men of Athens, in what other way he could prove that people are his kinsmen than in the way in which I have proved it—by having them give testimony under oath and showing that they have always been my kinsmen from the beginning.

It is for these reasons that I have confidence in my case and have come to you for protection. For I see, men of Athens, that the decisions of your courts are more valid not only than those of the Halimusians who have expelled me, but more valid even than those of the senate and the popular assembly; and justly so; for in all respects the verdicts of your courts are most just.

57.57Reflect upon this also, all you who belong to the large demes, that you are not wont to deprive any man of his right of accusation and defence. And I invoke many blessings upon the heads of all of you who have dealt fairly with this matter, because you did not deprive of the opportunity to prepare their case those who asked for a delay. By taking this course you exposed the pettifoggers and those who were maliciously scheming against others. 57.58You are deserving of praise for this, men of Athens; but those are to be blamed who have misused a procedure that was both admirable and just. In no other of the demes will you find that more outrageous things have been done than in ours. Of brothers born of the same mother and the same father they have expelled some and retained others, and they have expelled elderly men of slender means, while they have left their sons on the list of demesmen; and to prove these things I will call witnesses, if you wish. 57.59But you must hear the most outrageous thing which these conspirators have done (and I beg you in the name of Zeus and the gods, let no one of you be offended if I show the rascality of these men who have wronged me. For I hold that in showing what scoundrels they are I am speaking with precise reference to the experience which has befallen me). For, you must know, men of Athens, that when certain aliens, Anaximenes and Nicostratus, wished to become citizens, these scoundrels admitted them for a sum of money, which they divided among themselves, receiving five drachmae apiece. Eubulides and his clique will not deny on oath that they have knowledge of this; and now in this last revision they did not expel these men. Do you think, then, that there is anything that they would not do in private, seeing that in a public matter they dared this? 57.60There are many people indeed, men of the jury, whom Eubulides and his clique have destroyed or have saved for money. For even at an earlier time (and my words shall bear upon the matter in hand, men of Athens) Antiphilus, the father of Eubulides, when he was prefect of the deme, as I have told you, made use of trickery in his desire to get money from certain persons, and asserted that he had lost the public register; and he thereby induced the Halimusians to revise their list of members, denounced ten of their number, and had them expelled; all of whom with one exception the court of justice restored. These facts all the older ones know. 57.61It is unlikely indeed that they left on the list any who were not Athenians, when they conspired to expel even men who were citizens, whom the court restored. And although he was a personal enemy of my father at the time, Eubulides not only did not denounce him, but did not even cast his vote that he was not an Athenian. How is this proved? Because my father was declared by all the votes to be a member of the deme. But what need is there to speak of our fathers? Eubulides himself, when I was entered on the register and all the demesmen after taking the oath cast their votes regarding me as the law prescribes, neither denounced me nor cast his vote against me; for in this case again they all voted that I was a member of the deme. And, if they say that I am lying about this, let anyone who wishes give evidence to the contrary in the time allotted to me.